Leave it to the Greeks!

Leave it to the Greeks! I heard a sermon the other day on pride. Just as there are several connotations to our word “love” [exquisitely outlined by CS Lewis in his priceless monograph “The Four Loves”], there are two
understandings of “pride.” There’s nothing wrong with being “proud” of my
accomplishments, the preacher explained, as long as I recognize that the gifts I’ve been given with which to do the work are acts of grace. That pride is “schema,“ from which we get scheme, meaning to arrange in advance, to organize—and no negative connotation was intended by the ancient Athenians. The other, “hubris,” means overbearing pride or presumption, fostering arrogance and greed, and definitely not of the Lord. However, after feeling somewhat smug that I don’t show much hubris, in digging deeper I found that the only pride I ought to permit myself to feel [much less exhibit] is really a profound sense of gratitude that I have been privileged to use my gifts for his glory. It always comes back to that, and somehow it always should!